ABOUT  Carol

I've been painting for as long as I can remember. My father, Frank Howard, was an engineer at NASA, but he spent his free time with a paintbrush. He would even set up a table on the side of the road to sell paintings! 

 

Dad taught me how to draw and then we would go into his studio, where we would paint landscapes or magical creatures together. He would paint on almost anything–burlap, velvet, and wood panels. Then, we would make the frame. 

 

When my brother, Mark Howard (IG: @MarkHoward) got older, he began to teach me how to paint as well. He’s working as an artist in Hawaii now, and whenever we can spend time together, I ask him to teach me.

 

Mostly though, I studied the masters. Going to museums as often as I could, I soaked in the works of John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Joachin Sorolla. I took as many classes as I could along the way. Most recently, I’ve been learning to oil paint from Joel Tidey at the Visual Art Center and Museum in Summit, New Jersey.

 

I got serious about my art when I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life. Everything I had built up seemed to crumble beneath me, and I felt drawn to the beach with my paint brush. I needed to hear the crashing waves, smell the salt air, feel the hot sand, and stare at the blue water. I longed to see the things around me more deeply. There was something about surrounding myself in all of that beauty that healed me. 

 

Now, I’m on a constant hunt for beauty. Painting continues to be a meditative practice that calms me and inspires enormous awe.

 

I’m thrilled that my artwork has found its way into so many homes and offices. I've taught at Foosaner Art Museum, and I have led creative retreats on how art heals us and revives our burnt-out souls.

 

You can find me on Instagram (@CarolHoward). Or you can stop by my tent in New Jersey at the Madison Farm and Artisan Market on most Saturdays.